Pro-Romney 'super PAC' raised $30 million in 2011

Melanie Mason

Restore Our Future, the outside group supporting former Gov. Mitt Romney, brought in more than $30 million in 2011, far outpacing other candidate-specific "super PACs" and even outraising some GOP candidates themselves.

The donor list reads like a "who's who" in the finance world, including three New York-based hedge fund managers -- Paul Singer, Robert Mercer and Julian Robertson -- who kicked in $1 million each.

The group also received a combined $1 million from the corporate affiliates of Melaleuca Inc., an Idaho-based producer of natural home and healthcare products. The company's chief executive, Frank VanderSloot, is the Idaho finance co-chairman for the Romney campaign and a fellow member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The holding company of Francis Rooney, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, also contributed a total of $1 million to the group.

Partners of Bain Capital -- the private equity firm Romney founded in 1984 -- appear in the reports as well. Steven Barnes, a managing director, and his wife gave a combined $250,000. Fellow managing directors John Connaughton and Dominic Ferrante each contributed $250,000 as well.

The group also lured checks from Texas donors who had been some of the staunchest financial backers of Rick Perry's governorship. Houston home-building magnate Bob Perry gave the group $500,000 and Dallas investor Harlan Crow gave a $300,000, half of which came from his holding company.

The super PAC spent $6.5 million through Dec. 31 and entered 2012 with $23.6 million in the bank.